


Let Me Save You

by MLGSpaceDorito



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-03-19 23:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3628047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MLGSpaceDorito/pseuds/MLGSpaceDorito
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot's crash landing could have gone better. A lot better in fact. She could have landed in a body of water which would have likely reduced damage done not only done to her pod, but her as well. Sadly luck was not on her side, and she is now not only stranded on the miserable planet known as earth, but she's not exactly in the best condition. It seems her only option is to find Jasper and hopefully manage to avoid the Crystal Gems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crash Landing

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this before Joy Ride so things probably won't line up with canon perfectly. Story has been altered as it originally took place in Canada. I had rewritten this earlier, only to have it get deleted from AO3 when I closed my laptop. Here's attempt 3. This is the first time in several years that I have written a fanfic, let alone published one, so I hope you guys enjoy.

The pod could have landed literally anywhere in the world, anywhere at all. A large body of water would have been preferable as it would have possibly reduced the damage done to not only the pod, but the passenger as well. Unfortunately things just didn't seem to want to go Peridot's way as the green pod hurtled down to the earth. It didn't even bounce a few times then come to a skidding stop. That also would have been preferable. No, instead the damn thing embedded itself into the soft soil of the earth in the middle of a field filled with earth vegetation. The pod opened and Peridot extended a trembling hand out of it. She hoisted herself up into a standing position.

The startled gem quickly looked around. No signs of life. She didn't have to guess that her little stunt more than likely scared away any wildlife that had been in the area. She let out a grunt then dragged herself out of the pod only to collapse into the crater she had created. She laid there for a moment before she forced herself up. What was this place? There were tall stalks of plants everywhere, the temperature wasn't much colder than Beach City, and she didn't see any humans around. Though that last bit was probably for the best.

"Great." She huffed, a sudden sheer of pain drawing her attention to her forehead. Without hesitation Peridot dropped to her knees to inspect her reflection against the shining yet dented surface of the escape pod. Her fears had been confirmed. During the crash, either while she was being jostled in the pod, or when she made impact her gem had been cracked. She couldn't return to Homeworld like this. If she were damaged there was the risk of her being... Terminated.

No. She couldn't think like that. She shook her head and forced herself to stand once again. She had a mission to do. First thing was first. She had to locate Jasper. From there they would reactivate the Kindergarten, figure out how to fix her gem, then return home. Everything would be fine. Just peachy. The problem was locating the brute of a gem though. Had she returned to Homeworld without Peridot? No. As strong as Jasper was something told her she more than likely hadn't made it off the planet. Sure, she could easily handle the fusion... Most likely, but there were 2 other gems to fight. 4 Depending on what you considered the Steven, and if the ocean gem decided to be a nuisance.

Peridot rested a hand on her hip, running her detached fingers through her mess of hair. She would restyle it later. In the mean time she needed a game plan. A way to figure out where she was and how to get out of there. Well, she wouldn't get anywhere if she just stood around. She glanced around the crater for a moment before she pressed a few buttons in the pod. It created a large symbol which spread throughout the clearing of the field. Maybe, just maybe Homeworld would notice the ship went down and would send red eye drones to check up on things.

With a sigh Peridot dragged herself out of the crater then started on her way. Her body didn't move as well as she hoped. Something felt strained. As if invisible strings were pulling her down towards the earth. Like gravity decided it simply did not find her worthy of walking. Her suit felt so heavy. Every little movement became so much more of a struggle than it should have been. Is that what happened when one cracked their gem?

A clink caught her attention and she quickly glanced down to see one of her fingers lying on the ground. With this she gasped. Her left hand was missing two fingers, and her right missing one, not including the one lying at her feet. She didn't have time to look for the 3 in question. She had to get out of there, and she could always just make more when she got back to Homeworld. She picked up the finger lying on the ground, and it took its place amoungst its siblings where it belonged. She moved them individually a few times before continuing to walk.

This place was strange. The more she walked the more the wildlife began to appear around her. One creature in particular gave her an uneasy feeling. It was large, hairy, and possessed soft pink fur. She would occasionally glance back at the beast that was quite obviously following her. Too distracted with the thing the oblivious gem came to a sudden halt when she walked face first into a sign. A startled noise escaped her. She took a step back after recovering from the shock and looked up at the sign. It seemed to have some form of primitive directions. Honestly, humans were so far behind both in societal structure as well as technological advances. It was both depressing and insulting.

According to the coordinates present to her by the metal sign, it wasn't even digital, she wasn't far from civilization. Well, what the humans considered civilization. Wait, did that say Beach City? She wasn't far from the gems base. She'd have to be careful. That also meant she wasn't far from the Kindergarten though. Peridot shifted her weight to one hip as she lost herself in thought.

On one hand she could complete the mission by checking on the clusters herself. On the other hand she should probably find Jasper. Wait, why did she care about finding Jasper so badly? It's not like the larger gem would ever return the favor. Still, if she ran into trouble she'd need the back up. Jasper was her escort for a reason. Peridot wasn't much of a fighter, and with a cracked gem she was basically useless. She began running through other possible scenarios. Each one however came back to trying to find Jasper.

Peridot tried to explain her want to locate the other gem with logic. Jasper kept her safe, she was a brute and would protect her, she was useless alone and would get herself hurt, she might already be hurt... _She could be dead..._ Peridot violently shook her head as if it would dispel the depressing and intrusive thoughts from her mind. No matter how much she tried to deny it deep down some part of her cared about Jasper. Realistically speaking it was hard for her not to have some form of feelings for the other gem. They had known each other for a fair amount of time. It was hard not to get to know someone when you didn't have to waste time on menial tasks such as sleeping and eating. The initial journey to earth especially had given them time to become more acquainted.

Frustrated, Peridot let out a defeated sigh and began trudging towards Beach City, the pink fluffy animal following behind her. It was going to be a very long walk, and her body felt like it weighed a literal ton. Her steps were more of shifts and drags. Maybe the animal knew she was in rough shape and planned on attempting to eat her once her physical form gave due to the unfamiliar feeling of exhaustion. She couldn't help but let out a chuckle. The stupid thing would be sorely disappointed.

Peridot let out another grunt and continued forward. It felt like the crack in her gem was getting worse. She stopped in her tracks when she felt the beast press its head against her back. She ground her teeth and abruptly turned around, trying to shoo the thing away. The animal simply watched her, took her forearm in its mouth, then popped it off. Peridot let out an offended gasp and began shouting.

"Give that back you mangy thing! I need that!" She stomped her foot, but the animal ran. She wanted to chase after it. She did at first, but the invisible strings took hold again and forced her down onto the ground. She let out a series of frustrated yet colorful words that soon turned into utter gibberish. Great, that was starting. She pushed herself up then looked down at the lack of a left arm. Stupid thing. Once she found Jasper and got repaired she was going to turn that thing into a rug for her ship. This she promised. For now she just had to keep walking.


	2. Daydreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek at what Peridot and Jasper's relationship looked like before they got themselves into this mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to apologize for how long this chapter took to write, and for how short it is. I had been preparing for a con the week I initially posted this story, and I've been super sick since returning. The good news however is I should actually be done with chapter 3 tonight or tomorrow. Consider this one a bit of an intermission from the current events.

Jasper's arms wrapped tightly around Peridot's much smaller body in a comforting embrace. The larger gem pulled the smaller one into her lap and held her close. A kiss was pressed against Peridot's cheek, then jaw, then neck. She breath hitched slightly and she closed her eyes as she relaxed against Jasper. She still wasn't sure if she meant much of anything to the other gem aside from a plaything for the mission. She couldn't even remember when she became Jasper's plaything. The first week of the mission was spent in almost bitter silence. Of course, they had known each other prior to the mission, but Jasper wasn't exactly the happiest to return to earth. Peridot was convinced the only reason why she agreed was because of the mention of the Crystal Gems. She was very familiar with Jasper's fixation on Rose Quartz.

  
What sparked the fixation? Peridot couldn't say for sure. At first glance most would assume Jasper was a bitter ex, but in reality it went so much deeper than that. Rose Quartz betrayed her Homeworld. Because of her, the war she started, countless gems lost their lives. Jasper had only witnessed the first battle personally, and even then she saw dozens of gems slaughtered because of Rose Quartz.

  
And for what, this miserable planet? Jasper didn't understand it, and neither did Peridot. She didn't believe for a moment Jasper's fixation was a failed relationship. No, she knew Jasper had her reasons for being dead set on the other gem.

  
Peridot leaned back against the other gem, taking one large hand into her detatched fingers in an attempt to hold her hand. Jasper looked down at her then nuzzled the top of her head. Jasper was surprisingly gentle, but Peridot had no complaints.

  
"What was Earth like when you went?" Peridot asked, tilting her head back to look up at Jasper. The larger gem quirked an eyebrow then thought for a moment.  
"Strange. It was filled with vegetation and strange creatures. The humans were so primitive. Mostly covered in hair, they didn't really seem to be capable of language. Never saw what that traitor saw in them. In my opinion humans were meant to die out. They're disgusting and an evolutionary disappointment." Jasper huffed, Peridot raised both eyebrows in surprise.

  
"That's unexpected coming from you." The green gem said casually.

  
"Emotion is unexpected coming from you. I don't think I've ever seen you make so many different expressions before. Usually it's just glares and scowls. Hell, you never let anyone touch you, but you're holding my hand. What's gotten into you, 'Dot?" Jasper asked, Peridot immediately scowled as dark green spread across her cheeks.

  
"I just feel relaxed as all. I can just as easily kick you out of here so I can get back to work, you know. I need to do rounds anyway and make sure you didn't break anything else while my back was turned." Peridot snapped, not appreciating being called out on being touchy feely. She didn't know what irritated her more. The fact that Jasper essentially called her an uncaring machine, or the fact she was implying Peridot was being affectionate. Though, the last part wasn't exactly untrue, it still didn't sit well with her.

  
"Fine, be that way. I need to work out anyway." Jasper said, rolling her eyes. She stood, still holding Peridot, then dropped her into the chair. Jasper left the room, a slight irritated air about her. Immediately Peridot felt guilty, but forced the feelings down.

  
"Tch." The green gem sneered, turning her attention to the control panel. She didn't have time for fraternizing with another gem. It wasn't in the mission protocol. She just needed to swallow her feelings and do her job. The last thing she needed was Jasper getting her in trouble.


	3. "Fuck the mission."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot comes to the grim realization of her current situation while Connie and Steven have story time with Pearl and Amethyst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay on this chapter. I've been trying really hard to update this somewhat regularly. I'm also going to try to work on having the updates a bit longer so everyone has more to read instead of these small ones. With that being said I hope you enjoy.

Roughly 72 hours had passed since Peridot crashed her pod. 3 Earth days. In that time she had fallen into puddles varrying in size, been chased by winged creatures known as birds, and come back to a completely totalled pod. By the markings she had no doubts it had been the Crystal Gems. Honestly, she was just irritated at this point, and somewhat amazed. She hadn't thought of the possibility of the pod being damaged further, but of course, leave it to the earth loving traitors to continue to destroy her things.

  
Within these past few days Peridot had come to a few conclusions that didn't exactly sit well with her. The first being that there was no way she could repair her ship thanks to the rogue gems, the second was that they were not only hunting her, but they were out for blood. The third conclusion however is what bothered her the most. If they found her she would be no match for them, not that she had been one before. With a cracked gem and missing arm even the little one would be able to take Peridot. Hell, even The Steven could. The thought of this place being her grave terrified her. She didn't want to die.

  
Since finding her pod again in even worse shape Peridot had taken to hiding in the fields, as far away from the landing site as she could manage. She was short, so seeing her amoungst the vegetation was unlikely, and she was thankful for that. She couldn't hide forever though, not with her gem in this shape. Even so, she still needed to find Jasper and complete the mission.

  
Fuck the mission, a small voice in the back of her head shouted. No, she needed to complete it. As impossible a task as it was given her current state failure was not an option. If she failed and returned to Homeworld she would be dealt with in ways she didn't even want to think about. If she went on with the mission though the chances of the Crystal Gems finding her increased. No matter what she did she was fucked.

  
Peridot sat, knees pulled up to her chest. She was hidden amoungst the corn stalks, becomming increasingly uncomfortable as time passed. Her gem wasn't too bad, really it wasn't. It still made things far more difficult for her though. She exhaled from her nose, the pressure of air filling and leaving her chest bringing some form of comfort. She attempted to summon her holoscreen with her remaining fingers, but no luck. Her body was too badly damaged, not that it would have mattered. There wasn't anyone she could contact, and for all she knew the gems would be trying to trace any signal she may have broadcasted.

  
It was a horrible feeling really. The fact that a gem designed specifically to be tech savvy was forced into a position where she was not only unable to rely on her skill set, but it could actually be turned against her.

  
"Agh... Fuck it all! Fuck this stupid mission, fuck this stupid planet, and fuck that lousy escort Jasper!" She shouted, a bit surprised by her outburst, but far too gone to attempt to fight it. "Go to earth and reactivate the Kindergarten, it'll be easy! Yeah, well if it were so damn easy then why would I have required an escort, huh?" She shrieked. "If it were so easy then why couldn't someone else have been sent? Why did I have to come? Was this just some way to get rid of me?" Her face flushed with dark green as she threw her tantrum.

  
Suddenly, realization dawned on her. Her shoulders dropped, and she swallowed hard. They didn't want her to restart the Kindergarten. It had been thousands of years since the Kindergarten was up and running. Why would they care about it now? This wasn't a get in and get out mission, it was a scouting mission. She had been sent to see if Rose Quartz was still alive, and they had Jasper fooled too. That's why no one had tried contacting her. They weren't meant to make it off the planet...

  
Peridot felt sick. She brought her hand up to her face, covering her mouth as her body trembled. How could she have been so dense? No, no she was wrong. That couldn't be the reason. Jasper was a respected general. A high ranking gem, and Peridot wasn't exactly low on the ladder herself. This wasn't her first mission going to another planet and doing the Homeworld's dirty work. Yellow Diamond wouldn't dispose of them like that, but it didn't change the fact they had been lied to. Peridot knew for certain something else was going on, but she didn't know what.

  
The small green gem ran her detached fingers through her hair which now stuck out in different directions. It's not like she could shift her form to fix it. She was too badly damaged. Peridot sniffled then stood. She couldn't just wait here. She needed to find Jasper, or her arm at the very least. If the Crystal Gems showed up she would have preferred to at least have both hands to fight them with.

  
With a new sense of determination she spoke, finding some strange sense of comfort hearing herself speak. She hadn't realized how much she missed being around others.   
"I guess the only thing I can do now is try to lay low and try to find Jasper. Assuming she's still alive. Hopefully that furry pink beast doesn't come back for anymore parts of me." She muttered the last part, then walked out to the road in hopes of finding a sign. Upon seeing the sigh directing the way to Beach City she started in that direction.

* * *

  
"So, Peridot must be a really big intimidating gem, huh?" Connie asked. Surprisingly enough her overbearing parents found it ok for her to spend the night at Steven's home. Neither child had any issue with it, and in fact had spent the entire day playing on the beach while collecting small bits of the Emerald Hand. The pieces were still littered everywhere, no doubt parts of the ship resided at the bottom of the ocean with Malachite.

  
"What makes you say that?" Steven asked, tilting his head. The two children sat curled up on the couch while Pearl made them pizza. Amethyst sat on the floor picking her nose. Garnet must have been in the temple.

  
"Well, the way you guys talk about her she sounds like this big, mean, nasty gem." Connie explained, only to receive a snort from Amethyst.

  
"Nah, the big and mean one is at the bottom of the ocean." The purple gem said, grinning. Just then Pearl walked over to them, placing the pizza down on the coffee table for the kids, and Amethyst.

  
"While Peridot isn't exactly a physically large gem, she's still a big threat. We still aren't even sure what she is capable of, but we do know she was sent by Yellow Diamond, one of the rulers of the gem Homeworld. Her presence alone risks the lives of all those who live on Earth." Pearl explained, being surprisingly blunt with the topic. Connie looked up at her with sparkling eyes as she took a bite out of her slice of pizza.

  
"What P means is Peridot is short. She's barely taller than me." Amethyst said with a shrug, shoving an entire slice into her mouth. "But yeah, she's really dangerous, which is why we need to find her. Ya know, before she reactivates the Kindergarten and destroys all life on earth."

  
"Amethyst!" Pearl snapped, not thinking Connie needed to know all of the details.

  
"What? She might as well know, I mean, this kind of affects her too, P." Amethyst said, frowning. She was right. Pearl sighed then excused herself to tidy up the kitchen.

  
"Sounds like you guys have got a lot to worry about." Connie said as she leaned back, slowly taking in all of the new information. Steven nodded in confirmation. She looked to him, a determined look in her eyes. "I want to help. Anyway I can." Steven's eyes sparkled in admiration of his friend. He smiled then nodded.


	4. Title drop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven, the Crystal Gems, and Connie discuss the fate of Peridot in the events they manage to find her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry for the delay in continuing this. Yes, I am painfully away it has been well over a month since I last updated this fic and I'm so sorry. I've been working on other fics since I last updated this one in an attempt to improve my skills before continuing. I wasn't proud of how the earlier chapters had been written, but I hope you all enjoy this one. I also want to thank everyone for the comments and kudos. They mean a lot to me!
> 
> Hopefully I'll be able to update this fic, as well as the 2 others I am working on, regularly. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please be sure to tell me what you think so far. I'd love to hear what you have to say.

“Pearl! Garnet! Amethyst!” Steven shouted to the gems who resided on the deck. He and Connie ran up towards the house only for the gems to jump off the deck and meet them halfway.

“What is the matter, Steven?” Garnet asked. Breathless, the boy held up a green and black hunk of metal.

“Look what Lion found.” Steven forced out. Immediately Pearl crouched down and inspected the object.

“Isn’t that…” She began to say, only to be cut off by Amethyst’s enthusiasm.

“That’s Peridot’s arm! Wait, why is she missing an arm?” She asked, then looked up at Garnet and Pearl. “Do you think Lion beat her up and took it as a trophy?” She asked with a giggle, completely oblivious to Steven’s distraught expression.

“Lion would never hurt anyone.” The boy insisted. Pearl carefully took the arm and inspected it.

“Maybe he just found it.” Connie added before turning her attention to Pearl who had began to pace as she looked over the object in question.

“How is this even possible? If her physical form had been severely damaged she would have regenerated and this would have disappeared. This doesn’t make any sense.” The distress was heavy in Pearl’s voice. She looked up to Garnet for answers.

“We knew from the first moment we saw her Peridot is unlike any gem we have ever seen before. Her kind is more than likely mass produced. She may be unable to create a complete physical form and had to be fitted with mechanical parts.” Garnet suggested, just as confused as everyone else but trying not to let on too much.

“Maybe we can ask her when we find her.” Steven said, looking to Connie who nodded in agreement.

“Steven, dude, the only thing we’re gonna do when we find her is sma-” Pearl quickly covered Amethyst’s mouth. Steven frowned at the two of them.

“Why can’t we try to talk to her?” Steven asked, looking at the three gems. Garnet kneeled down and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Steven, Peridot is a very dangerous enemy. She already tried to crush you once, and tried to bring us all to Homeworld.” Garnet explained. “She also planned on reactivating the Kindergarten and still plans on doing so.”

“So you’re just going to kill her? Is that what you plan on doing when you find Malachite too? Just kill the others that you don’t understand without trying to talk to them?” Steven asked, pulling away from the fusion.

“Steven, you don’t understand… Homeworld is…” Pearl started.

“And you don’t understand either! You haven’t been to Homeworld in over 5000 years. You don’t even know what Peridot is or why she was put in charge of reactivating the Kindergarten. Even if you don’t like her and don’t think she can be good we should still talk to her.” Steven shouted, glaring up at them.

“Steven has a point. Even if you’re unable to make her see things your way, killing her on the spot would destroy any chances you have of getting information from her. Maybe she would be able to answer some of your questions.” Connie suggested, taking Steven’s hand in her own to show him she was there for him. He turned to her and smiled softly. The gems looked skeptical.

“We will discuss it, but in the meantime if you find any traces of her presence you need to tell us. Do you understand, Steven and Connie?” Garnet questioned. Both children nodded before they parted from the gems.

“What do you think, Garnet?” Amethyst asked, looking up.

“She… Is dangerous.” Garnet answered, Pearl noted the hesitation in her voice.

“What does Ruby think?” Pearl asked.

“Kill her.”

“And Sapphire?”

“Have faith in Steven.”

 

“It’s already been 3 weeks since she disappeared, hasn’t it?” Connie asked as she and Steven sat on the beach.

“Almost a month I think, it might have been longer actually. I haven’t really kept track.” He answered, throwing a rock into the ocean. The tides were coming up high today.

“Do you really think she can be good?” Connie asked, looking to him.

“I’m not sure, but we need to give her a chance. If my mom told the gems to spare Peridot they would. I shouldn’t have to drop my moms name to get them to not be so violent. I don’t get it.” Steven said with a sigh. After a moment he spoke again. “I’m worried about what they’ll do to Malachite when they find her. Like, I get she’s dangerous, but I’m scared for Lapis.”

“She’s really important to you, isn’t she?” Connie inquired, looking out to the ocean.

“She saved us. I’m not sure if she did what she did to save us, or to get revenge on Jasper, but she still saved us. At least… That’s what I like to think.” Steven hugged his knees to his chest.

“Didn’t Garnet beat her though? Would she really have been much of a threat?” Connie asked.

“I guess not. I’m not sure. I don’t know Jasper enough to know what she’s like, but that’s why I want to find out. It’s stupid that the gems just want to kill her without trying to talk to her. Like, I understand why they’re scared… I’m scared too.” Steven looked down at the sand. Connie rested her hand on his in an attempt to comfort him. He smiled softly. “Thanks for listening, Connie.”

“Well hey, we’re in this together. I want to help you guys out any way I can. I know I’m not a Crystal Gem, I’m just a human, but I still want to help. Plus, you’re my best friend, and only friend.”

Steven opened his mouth to speak, but his attention had been captured by a large wave coming at them. He quickly stood, grabbing Connie’s hand. He pulled her into his arms and ran away from the water carrying her. The wave crashed against the shore then quickly retreated back to the ocean. Steven carefully put Connie down.

“Steven, look!” She exclaimed, pointing to something several yards away from them. They ran over to find the washed up object was none other than Peridot.

“Peridot…?” Steven asked quietly, looking over the gem. She was in rough shape.

 

Peridot opened her eyes, groaning softly. Her vision was blurred, and her hearing near non-existent. She felt like she was trapped in a glass bottle, voices muffled and distant. She tried to push herself up, but no luck. Her entire body ached. She could feel the saltwater running through the cracks in her gem and down her face. She blinked a few times in hopes of clearing her vision, but in the end she was only greeted with vague shadows.

“Peridot?” Steven asked again.

“Steven, look at her eyes.” Connie said, referring to Peridot’s eyes displaying static.

Peridot tried to make sense of the sounds. She tried to strain her eyes to see. She tried to move, even just one of her fingers, but nothing. Her body felt heavy and she could feel cold darkness surrounding her. Was she dead? No, not yet at least. Every attempted movement, even thoughts were a strain on her gem. How had it not shattered yet? How had she even gotten here?

“She’s hurt. I need to help her. I need to take her to my moms healing fountain.” Steven said, hurrying over to Peridot’s other side.

“Can’t you heal her with your spit or something?” Connie asked as Steven slipped a hand under Peridot’s back and hoisted her into a sitting position.

“I haven’t been able to heal anything for a while, and I haven’t seen anyone in this condition before. We need to get her to the fountain before her gem breaks otherwise she’ll die.” Steven explained. With that Connie supported Peridot’s other side. They tried to get her to her feet, but it was a near impossible task. Especially when Peridot felt someone touching her. She immediately panicked.

“D-don’t touch me! Release me- p-please…” She forced out in a garbled mess of words. Her pitch fluctuated as she spoke and she trembled as she tried to pull away from Steven and Connie. They let go and she fell back. She tried to scramble away from them. She couldn’t see them, but was convinced they were the Crystal Gems.

“Peridot it’s ok, you’re safe.” Steven tried to tell her, but she couldn’t hear them. Instead she tried to force herself to her fight, but only got as far as sitting up again.

“Please… I don’t want to die.” She looked at Connie and Steven helplessly, tears ran down her cheeks. Steven’s heart broke seeing her like this. He looked to Connie who seemed just as upset as he was.

“She can’t hear us, but maybe if we approach her slowly she’ll be able to tell we don’t want to hurt her.” Connie said, slowly approaching Peridot from the side. Gently, she rested a hand on the gems shoulder. Steven followed her lead.

“Please Peridot, I want to help you. Please… Just… Let me save you.”

 

 


	5. Rose's Fountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, sorry for the delay and shortness of the chapter. I've been in a really bad rut lately and I'm trying really hard to work on these, but it hasn't been coming easily to me. Regardless I hope you enjoy, and all comments are appreciated.

Gentle, small hands rested on Peridot’s shoulders. These couldn’t have belonged to the Crystal Gems. Had it been that rowdy group who discovered her she would have been shattered in an instant. The next thing she knew 2 pairs of small arms wrapped around her back and tried to help her into a standing position. Unsure who was helping her, assuming that’s what they were doing at least, she reluctantly followed their lead.

Steven looked to Connie with a small smile which she returned as they helped the injured gem walk. Her steps were uneasy, and she stumbled frequently, but they kept their hold on her.

“So how are we going to get her to your moms fountain?” Connie asked, wondering what Steven was planning. He was a smart boy though, and he knew how the gems worked.

“If Lion was around then I’d have him take us, but I haven’t seen him since he brought us Peridot’s arm. So… Are you good at acting?” He asked with a hopeful tone.

 

Connie bounded up the stairs of Steven’s home and burst through the door. As Steven anticipated the gems were relaxing in the living room.

“Garnet! Amethyst! Pearl! Steven needs your help, it’s urgent! He sent me to come get you, he’s at the boardwalk!” Connie said in an absolute panic. Without hesitation from Pearl or Amethyst the gems stood at attention.

“You stay here where it is safe, Connie.” Pearl instructed and filed out the door with the other two.

Connie couldn’t help but wonder if Garnet had seen through her lie. Once the gems had fled the area Steven emerged from beneath the deck and slowly helped the ever so oblivious Peridot up the stairs. Connie helped them both inside and over to the warp pad.

 

Still unsure of her surroundings or company Peridot was surprised when she felt herself warping. It was an unmistakable feeling. Where were they going? Fear bubbled up in her chest as she convinced herself she was being taken to her execution. Perhaps the Crystal Gems wanted to keep it as a private event. She swallowed hard and whimpered softly as tears rolled down her cheeks. Both Steven and Connie noticed this. They took her detached fingers in their hands, hoping to provide some form of comfort to the frightened gem.

Connie couldn’t help but admire their surroundings and comment on the beauty of the scenery. She made small comments of how Steven’s mother had excellent tastes and how the area was aesthetically pleasing. Steven agreed, despite his unfamiliarity with the term ‘aesthetic.’

Suddenly, they reached their destination, and yet again small arms wrapped around her to support her steps. They didn’t walk for long before they came to a stop, and she was helped into a sitting position on the edge of something. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt like smooth marble. She stared blankly at Steven and Connie.

Steven looked at Connie, then back to Peridot. In his mind there was so way to do this that wouldn’t frighten the gem, so it was best to get it over quickly. He stood up on the edge of the fountain next to her, then suddenly pulled her in.

Peridot let out a scream as she was suddenly pulled underwater. Slowly her vision began to unblur and the pain faded. She glanced around quickly to see The Steven looking at her, beckoning her to follow him up to the surface. She obeyed, if only for her distaste of water.

As the pair surfaced they both gasped. Steven pulled himself out, then promptly helped Peridot out as well. She flopped ungracefully onto the ground as she had when she climbed out of her escape pod. She stared at the two human children before her in utter confusion. Before she had a chance to even come up with a question The Steven spoke.

“How are you feeling?” He asked. How was she feeling? Why was he concerned? Then it occurred to her. Her gem was healed… It was healed because of him, but why?

Peridot stared at the children in confusion. Eventually though, she spoke.

“I’m… Fine. Why did you help me?” She asked. Steven and Connie looked to each other, smiled, then back to Peridot.

“Because you needed help. Your gem was cracked really badly, about to shatter!” The small boy exclaimed.

“If Steven didn’t bring you here you could have died, and we didn’t want that.” The human girl explained. So it was just Steven, not ‘The Steven.’ Peridot felt kind of foolish, but still mostly confused by the situation. Peridot went to speak, but was immediately cut off by a shrill voice.

“Steven! Connie! Get away from her!” Pearl shouted. Steven and Connie turned to see a very angry group of gems. Garnet especially looked upset. The Crystal Gems advanced to the children and Peridot. Suddenly, Pearl’s spear was pressed against Peridot’s gem and she was forced back against the fountain. She stared at the tall gem with wide fear filled eyes. Steven immediately tried to squeeze in between the two, only to be hoisted up by Garnet.

“I don’t think so little boy. You are in big trouble for having Connie lie to us so you could help _her._ ” Garnet said sternly, Steven bit his bottom lip and looked to Peridot who was on the brink of tears. “Honestly, I didn’t want you believe you lied to us. I saw the vision and looked for other possible futures. Do you not realize how dangerous she is?”

“If we didn’t help her, her gem was going to crack!” Connie argued in Steven’s defense. Pearl glanced from the young girl to Garnet.

“Should have let it. Doesn’t matter though. We’ll just bubble her.” Amethyst said as she drew her whip. Peridot glared at that cursed whip, but her attention was quickly brought back to Pearl as the spear threatened to create another crack.

“My mom would have helped her. I want to help her, and I shouldn’t have to bring up my mom to get you guys to try to give someone a chance.” Steven said sternly, glaring as Garnet. The fusion sighed and put the little boy down. “Pearl, please put your spear down.” He said, looking up at the slender gem. Pearl hesitated, but obeyed.

Steven walked over to Peridot and offered her his hand. She looked to his hand, then his face. She was petrified. How had this small human managed to calm the others down, and why did he want to help her? Suddenly, she felt his hands wrap around her gauntlet and help her up into a standing position. She looked down at him, then back at the other gems, horribly and utterly confused. The feelings seemed to be somewhat mutual between the aliens.

“What do you plan on doing exactly, Steven?” Pearl asked, her spear dissipated.

“I want to be able to talk to her and get to know her. I want to give her a chance.” The boy explained, looking up at Peridot with a smile. “I don’t think she’s all bad. Right, Peridot?” He asked. Peridot just stared at him.

“I tried to kill you… Why do you want to help me?” She asked, taking the words out of Pearl’s mouth.

“Everyone makes mistakes, and you were just doing your job. I want to be able to show you how beautiful earth is, and then maybe you won’t want to destroy it. That, and I want to be your friend.” Steven grinned. Peridot wanted to scoff, or vomit, but she kept any smart comments to herself when she noticed the way the gems watched her. Steven took her detached fingers into his hand and began to walk with her back to the warp pad along with Connie. The gems trailed close behind. “Oh, and we’ve got your other arm if you want it back.”

“That would be appreciated.” She drawled, trying to ignore the feeling of the Crystal Gems glares burning through the back of her skull. She knew they wanted her dead. She’d have to watch her back while she tried to understand why Steven wanted to protect her.

Somehow the large group managed to squeeze onto the warp pad together and went back to Steven’s home. Now is when the fun would begin.

 

 


	6. Sunset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone I just want to say I'm sorry for how long this took. I actually hadn't been planning on continuing this fic, but someone actually commissioned me to write this chapter. I've got to say it was hard writing this. I've had a terrible writers block and have been stuck on the final 300 words to make this chapter at least 2000 words long for almost a week now. It's finished though! I also just want to say that this is the final chapter. This fic has run its course and I personally am pleased with the ending. I may write more to follow along with this, perhaps make a series, but as it stands right now this is the end.
> 
> Thank you everyone who has followed this fic and supported me. I could not write the fics that I do without your kind comments. I appreciate you all.

“I still say we smash her. We can wait until Steven goes to hang out with Connie and-”

“No, Amethyst. We can’t betray Steven’s trust like that. Though I do agree it would be for the best he’d never forgive us.” Pearl said with a sigh, holding her arms as she looked away.

“So what, we just keep her here until she tries something? For all we know she could have contacted Homeworld by now!” The smaller of the three gems nearly shouted.

“Gems, Enough.” cut in Garnet, sternly. “We can’t smash her, Pearl was right when she said we cannot betray Steven’s trust. The only thing we can do now is keep an eye on her and have faith in Steven’s abilities. I know you are scared. I am too, but at the moment our hands are tied. If she does nothing to cause for distress we cannot do anything. We all know Steven will try to defend her no matter what, and I do not wish to fight him.”

“So what do we do?” Pearl asked, glancing out at the gem in question, Steven, and Connie who sat on the porch.

“We wait, and we watch.” The fusion said, successfully ending the conversation. Pearl and Amethyst retreated to their respective rooms as Garnet stood watch of the trio.

* * *

  
  


“The Steven…” Peridot began, the two children looked up at her and giggled.

  
“It’s just Steven.” The little boy corrected her. Peridot nodded.

“Steven, then. Where is Jasper?” she asked. Steven and Connie looked to each other, exchanging the same look of unease. What would they tell her? Would the gems be mad if they told her the truth? Steven didn’t want to lie.

“She’s fused with Lapis at the bottom of the ocean.” He said, pointing out to the large body of water. Peridot stared out at it. Her remaining fingers curled and uncurled. Her expression looked… Troubled. Concerned. The corner of her mouth twitched and she furrowed her brow. Something was off. Steven had no idea the gem could be this… Animated in her expressions. No doubt she was displeased with the news. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the railing. She raked one set of fingers through her cloud of hair as she tried to gather her thoughts. So, her commander was fused with Lapis at the bottom of the ocean. Great, fantastic even. As if she hadn’t feared punishment from her superiors back on Homeworld enough as it was.

An unease settled over the small group. Steven couldn’t help but frown. The children were at a loss for words.  
“So… Is your arm working properly, Peridot?” Connie asked. The gem simply nodded. As promised they had given her her arm upon arrival to the home. Peridot was more than happy to have all of her limbs again.

“If you don’t mind my asking…” Steven began, looking at where her arm ended and the prosthetic began.

“I do mind, so please do not ask. It is a long story I am uncomfortable with retelling at the time being. Just know that I am unable to fully project a physical form.” Peridot cut him off. There was a hint of viciousness in her tone. Did the prosthetic’s bother her that much, or was she upset about Malachite?

Steven and Connie both fell silent. They stared out at the ocean as the sun set slowly over the water. With a glance up to Peridot, Steven noticed she seemed absolutely mesmerized on the changing colors. The way the clouds stretched wispily across the vastness of the sky had a certain… Charm to it. The sight was breathtaking to say the least, well, it was to the technician. There wasn’t anything like this on Homeworld. Everything was… Cold and artificial. Her design heavily reflected that.

Finally, the silence was broken.

  
“What is happening?” Peridot asked, unable to tear her gaze away from the alluring scene displayed before her. After she had initially crashed she had been too far focused on simply staying alive. The nights she spent alone blurred from one to another. Coupled with her cracked gem she hadn’t exactly had a moment to appreciate the environment around her. Quite the opposite really, but this… This moment was… Surreal.

“The sun is setting. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen a sunset before, Peridot.” Steven looked to her, smiling. Her confusion… Ignorance really was evident in her expression. This caused the little boy to frown. Connie finally chimed in as she noticed the look of… Was it envy? No, it was something else. She was enamoured by the scene, unable to make direct eye contact with the children.

“Doesn’t Homeworld have a sun, Peridot?” Connie asked. Peridot shook her head.

“If it does I’ve never seen it before.” The gem stated, pausing for a moment before she continued her next thought. “Homeworld is… Cold. Like a machine. Preprogrammed with a specific protocol to follow. If those who are part of this machine stray from the protocol then…” She trailed off.

The children looked frightened. What was Homeworld like? Steven remembered how scared Lapis had been when she sent the message to warn him and the others of Jasper and Peridot’s arrival. He began to realize that perhaps her fear was less directed towards the gems coming to Earth, and more towards the realization that the planet she once called home was no more. It was then that the little boy saw just how terrifying it must have been for the other gems to be trapped on a planet so foreign to their own lives. They weren’t home and they never would be home.

There was no doubt if Peridot and Jasper were able to return to Homeworld there would have been countless improvements and upgrades made in their absence and they too would be stuck in this limbo that Lapis found herself trapped in. Technologically speaking it was a fast paced civilization.

This troubled Steven, but he wasn’t quite sure why. He remembered how insistent Pearl had been on showing him her home. He was glad, now more than ever, that they hadn’t made it. What would have happened to them if that ship had arrived? If the Homeworld gems mission had been successful? What would have become of him and his friends? What would have become of earth? His family and all of the living creatures on this tiny planet… Would they be dead? They would. The Crystal Gems had told him that.

They would all die if the Kindergarten had been restarted like Peridot had planned. Steven wondered if she was still intent on completing her mission. Not doubt she did. She had a mission, and was currently stuck between a rock and a hard place. Steven didn’t need anyone to tell him that because he could see the confliction in her eyes. He saved her and she knew that, but how long would she be safe? How long until the Crystal Gems grew tired of her, or her superiors came to collect her? How long… Until the end?

Just then the screen door of the house opened and there stood the defect. Pearl had no intention on paying any attention to her, but instead, focused her attention on the children.

“Steven, Connie, it’s bed time. Amethyst, Garnet, and I constructed a fort for you two to sleep in as requested.” the slender gem announced with a sing song tune to her voice. The children smiled and scrambled inside, but not before Steven cast one last look at Peridot. He wanted to invite her inside but knew better than to pressure her into it. She needed time to herself. Insisting she join them wouldn’t make her any more comfortable with the current situation. She’d come in when she was ready. Annoying her wouldn’t make her greatful to be alive because no matter how one looked at it she was a prisoner.

Steven looked back at her one last time, surprised to see her looking back. He then looked up at Pearl and shrank back into the house. He saw how the taller gem watched her like a hawk, sizing her up, challenging her. The fact that Peridot had looked at Steven seemed to irritate her. This was going to be harder than Steven had anticipated. He looked to Peridot to see her glaring at Pearl, refusing to show any sign of fear. The technician wasn’t about to allow this toothpick of a gem stare her down. She was safe, she reminded herself. The Crystal Gems wouldn’t dare defy Steven’s wishes and harm her. She didn’t understand why he wanted to keep her safe, but was mattered was he did. He held a power over the others and at the current moment she was thankful for that.

Pearl followed the children inside. She bit back an insult directed at Peridot. How many things she would love to say to her. To remind her that Peridot was only alive because of Steven. How she was the enemy and she wasn’t free. She was a prisoner and would remain as such. She wanted to look down at the smaller gem and tell her how this wasn’t some story and she would have no redemption. She refrained, if only to avoid upsetting Steven.

With the children being tucked into bed Peridot finally had the deck to herself. She let out a soft sigh and returned her attention to the ocean. She watched as the waves rocked against the shore in a lull. She searched for any sign of the fusions presence in the vast expanse of the open water. ANything at all. Perhaps bubbles, or one high tide that crashed particularly hard against the sand. If only she had a sign she could search for them.

It was hopeless thinking. She knew the other gems would never allow her to search for Jasper. Instead, she remained stationary. She watched as the last few traces of sunlight dipped below the calm surface of the water, and with the disappearance of the sun so went any trace of hope she had of escaping this hell. She was stuck here. This was her prison. If her superiors came they would kill her. If she stepped out of line the Crystal Gems would kill her. She wondered how long she had left, and if it was even worth it.

She failed. Failures were recycled and renewed. Failures were retired because failure will not be tolerated under the watchful eye of Yellow Diamond. Her gem would be smashed or ground down into dust only to be reformed into a new Peridot. A new Peridot who wouldn’t be a failure. She would be perfect, with no memories of a past life. Maybe she wouldn’t be reformed. Maybe her shards would instead be used in experiments much like the clusters incubating in the Kindergarten, waiting for her to check up on them. She couldn’t though. Not now. It was too late for her to try to complete her mission. She failed.

Hours melted by and soon the moon was again replaced by the Earth’s largest visible star. The sun. Peridot had been oblivious to the time that had passed. She was far too wrapped up in her thoughts, and was pulled out of them only by Steven tapping her arm for possibly the third time.

“Peridot, are you ok?” He asked, looking up at her. His brows were furrowed and he sported a frown. He was clearly concerned about the gem. Peridot blinked a few times before she fully registered the situation.

“Yes. Yes, I’m fine. I was… Thinking.” She admitted, turning her attention back out to the ocean. Steven climbed up onto the bottom bar of the railing and looked out with her. “Where is your companion? She was with you yesterday.”

“She’s still sleeping. We stayed up pretty late. Her parents have her on a really strict sleep schedule and I think I messed it up. She’ll probably wake up in a few hours.” Steven explained. Peridot raised an eyebrow.

“What is sleep?” She asked, looking back down at the boy. He had her attention.

“It’s what organic beings do to regain energy. Gems don’t need it, but we do.” Steven explained. “You close your eyes and let your mind sort of drift off. That’s called dreaming.”

“Interesting… But what do you mean by ‘we’, are you not a gem?” The technician asked, far more invested in the conversation than she wanted to be. She would have rather kept quiet around others, but this ‘sleep’ thing interested her. The ‘dreaming’ thing even more so.

“I’m only half gem. My mom, Rose Quartz, gave up her physical form to have me. The gems really miss her and I think they kind of blame me for her not being around.” Peridot detected a hint of sadness in his tone. Part of her felt… Bad for him. Were these gems not his caretakers? Peridot wasn’t an expert on emotions or personal feelings by any means, but she had a feeling that part of having caretakers included being cared for on an emotional level as well. Unsure of how to respond to that she tentatively wrapped an arm around him. He looked up at her, to see she once again had her attention on the ocean.

“Thank you for saving me, Steven…” Peridot said softly. Steven smiled, his eyes watering. He leaned against her and relaxed.

He knew there was good in her. He was right.

 

 


End file.
